EU chief executive unveils blueprint to get Europe back on its feet

European Union’s chief executive has painted a sober picture of the bloc grappling with a pandemic and the deepest recession in its history.

President Ursula Von Der Leyen in her annual state of the union address said European Commission doubled down on the flagship goals she set out when she took office last December.

Ursula Von Der Leyen added that she unveiled a plan to cut EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030, up from an existing target of 40%, and called for greater investment in technology for Europe to compete more keenly with China and the United States.

Solidarity among the 27 member states ragged badly at the onset of the covid-19 pandemic, when countries refused to share protective medical kit with those worst-affected and closed borders without consultation to prevent the spread of the virus.